Welcome to Minokamo City

Strengthening Sister City Ties through the Shoyoen Japanese Garden

Minokamo in Gifu and Dubbo in NSW began their sister city exchange after signing a sister city agreement in 1989. In November 2002, the Shoyoen Japanese Garden and Jurian Ceremonial Tea House were built on a 10ha area of land in Dubbo. Through the Minokamo International Exchange Association, citizen volunteers such as craftspersons and landscapers took part in designing the Japanese garden and the building of the garden was completed with the support of Dubbo Regional Council. 

Just like the saying “As Spring arrives and the Cherry blossoms bloom, the friendship and understanding between us further”, the friendship between the two cities has grown over the past 30 years. Shoyoen is loved by the locals in Dubbo and is now an impressive garden that transmits Japanese culture and is a place of recreation for locals. With Dubbo’s desire that Shoyoen “is to not just be of Japanese style, but an authentic Japanese garden”, since 2008, Minokamo has been sending a landscaper to Dubbo every year to manage the garden and provide guidance on pruning. 

However, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it had been two years that the student exchange program, as well as the landscaper dispatch program between the two cities, could not go ahead. The landscaper dispatch program resumed in September this year. With a two-year gap since the last landscaper was dispatched, this year’s landscaper was anxious due to the long gap but was impressed by how extremely well-maintained Shoyoen is after arriving at the garden. According to the landscaper, “Our efforts in maintaining and managing the garden are minimal. The upkeeping of this impressive Japanese garden is all because of the efforts of the staff at Dubbo Regional Council and the volunteers who continued pruning and managing the plants in the garden.”

                                                                           

Currently, Shoyoen is a popular spot amongst Dubbo locals and is often used as a place for weddings, events, tea gatherings and other day-to-day social gatherings. 

On 19 November, accepting Dubbo Regional Council’s invitation to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of Shoyoen, a delegation of approximately 20 from Minokamo City visited Dubbo to celebrate alongside Dubbo locals. Minokamo City is excited to see the resumption of people-to-people interactions between the two cities.  

カテゴリー: Discover Japan

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    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

     

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  •  環境問題への取組を調査するため、7月下旬~8月上旬にかけて滋賀県立彦根工業高等学校の高校生1名および引率者1名がオーストラリアを訪問し、クレアシドニー事務所は、7月29日にはオーストラリアの概要(文化、風習等)についてブリーフィングを実施し、7月31日にはブリスベンの訪問先企業へのアテンド行いました。

    ブリスベンの訪問先においては、カーボンニュートラルの観点から、カギケノリという海藻を用いて畜産動物が排出するメタンガスを減少させる取り組みについての情報を得ることができました。生徒が、将来は自らも環境のための取り組みを実施したいとの思いから、積極的にミーティングに臨んでいる姿が印象的でした。

    当事務所は今回、ブリーフィング及びアテンドのほか、ブリスベンの訪問先企業に対するアポイントメント取得のサポートも行いました。
     クレアシドニー事務所は、今後もオーストラリアでの調査に取り組む日本の自治体の活動を支援していきます。

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this correspondence in PDF.

  • *English only.

    The latest issue of our correspondence is released.

    View this Correspondence in PDF.

  •  名古屋市とシドニー市の姉妹都市交流は、2025年に45周年を迎えます。11月24日(金)には、豪州多文化主義政策交流プログラム(11月27日から12月2日まで)参加にあわせて渡豪した名古屋市職員がシドニー市役所を訪問しました。
     両市の姉妹動物園(タロンガ動物園と東山動物園)の交流の状況や名古屋市における国際交流についての情報共有に加えて、2023年12月に予定されている松雄副市長のシドニー市訪問の事前打ち合わせが行われ、クレアシドニー事務所はこの訪問をアテンドしました。
     節目の年を2年後に控え、両市の交流がさらに活発になるよう、クレアシドニー事務所は引き続き支援して参ります。